28/7/2022 Communicate you IntentFailing to Communicate your Intent within a negotiation might mean a really bad outcome - it could mean the End of the World. I’ve been really enjoying the latest series of Sideways on Radio 4 - Matthew Side’s examination of seeing the world differently. The current season examines the threat of nuclear war, and one episode mentioned how bad parties within a negotiation can be at signalling their intentions. In the case of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it nearly led to a nuclear war. When Kruschev ordered nuclear weapons to be shipped to Cuba, it was in direct response to the US stationing nuclear weapons in Turkey, and intended to make the US reconsider its own deployment when it saw missiles arriving on its own doorstep.
Except Russia forgot to tell the US: the USSR took action but it didn’t communicate what was behind it. So Russia was as surprised as anyone when the incident escalated to the brink of a nuclear war. What saved the world was a cool head from JFK, who took the initiative to open up a dialogue with Russia. The end result was the public withdrawal of the Cuban missiles, and a deal to remove warheads from Turkey, one that remained secret for 25 years. And given how much thought can go into formulating your strategy and offers, it seems a real waste if you risk the other side missing the careful nuances. So, unless you consider a clandestine approach serves your purposes, explain your thinking. Make sure the other side is clear about why you’re doing something. Explain why you want something, or why you’re making the offer in the form you are making it. Research has shown that being prepared to be open with the other party, even sharing your real interests within the negotiation, can signal cooperation and lead to reciprocal sharing of key information. It can lead to rapport, a key ingredient in breeding trust, as well as a better understanding between the parties. So don’t leave it to chance that they will work out what you mean. Tell them. It’s very rare that the World is at stake, but it can still help to avoid a failed negotiation. Photo by Mike Myers on Unspalsh Comments are closed.
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AuthorRichard Marshall is an Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator with over 25 years experience as a Litigation Solicitor, as well as being a qualified Solicitor-Advocate. He is the founder of Striving to Settle, through which he works as a mediator and provides negotiation training. www.strivingtosettle.co.uk Archives
August 2022
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